Liverpool CONVINCED Richard Hughes has found Roberto Firmino 2.0

Liverpool reportedly feel that Richard Hughes has found their successor to Roberto Firmino. It's been a long time coming.

Liverpool's major success under Jurgen Klopp came with a sensational front-three of Sadio Mane, Mo Salah and Roberto Firmino. The trio were ideally suited to one another, with the wide players looking to cut inside and do the scoring, while Firmino was a False 9 - a genuine blend of someone able to lead the line while also linking play for others.

The fact that Firmino wasn't searching for goals of his own is the reason it worked. He was essentially a no.10, just one versatile enough to also lead the press and occupy centre-backs.

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His movement, touch, and intelligence all blended together perfectly, making Firmino one of the greatest centre-forwards we've ever seen at Liverpool. Even if his goal record falls considerably short of the other greats.

But in 2022, Klopp made a controversial decision. He moved away from the idea of a versatile, playmaking striker and wanted a traditional no.9.

It's why he rejected the idea of signing Christopher Nkunku that summer. He wanted Darwin Nunez to take over the role.

Now, that didn't work out. The team was still good and the move allowed for a no.10 to be implemented into the squad. Nunez, however, just couldn't score goals in the way Liverpool wanted and lacked the playmaking ability to cover for it.

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Roberto Firmino 2.0

Liverpool now believe they've returned to the Firmino-style of centre-forward. Writing for The Times, Paul Joyce outlines that the Reds 'feel they have gone back to the multi-functional striker model this summer'.

That's with Hugo Ekitike, who arrives from Eintracht Frankfurt. Unlike Nunez, Ekitike is far more flexible in buildup play and should offer more variety for Liverpool.

Similar to Firmino, Ekitike likes to drift into channels and wide areas, operating between the lines. That in turn opens space up for others - so this is a return to the old style of play, in some sense.

Of course, things will be different. Liverpool still have a no.10 in the side and that means Ekitike will lean more towards being a striker than a playmaker.

Arne Slot is now the head coach, too, and his gameplan isn't the same as Klopp's. That again means we're not getting a Firmino clone here.

But it is the evolution of the role. Ekitike is a wonderfully versatile forward in ways that Nunez isn't - and that means a familiar (and wildly successful) style of play should return to Liverpool's forward line.

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